by Ireland vs Australia Predictions
Joe Schmidt returns to his old stomping ground at Aviva Stadium on Saturday with his new Australian team in hopes of taking the scalp of his old Irish team (3:10 p.m., TNT Sports 1).
The New Zealander spent six years in charge of Ireland, leading them to three Six Nations titles, but his focus now is on seeing the Wallabies bounce back from last weekend’s defeat.
Australia got their autumn series off to a flying start with wins over England and Wales, but were brought back down to earth last weekend when they were soundly beaten by Scotland 27-13.
They will want to end the tour on a high, but face their toughest test yet against an Irish team currently ranked second in the world.
Ireland saw their run of 19 home wins ended by the All Blacks earlier this month, but bounced back well, outplaying an improving Argentina side and then beating Fiji 52-17, and betting sites make them big favorites to win on Saturday.
Ireland vs Australia betting preview
Australia might have the overall advantage with 22 wins to Ireland’s 14, but recent history is very much on the side of Andy Farrell’s side.
They have won the last three matches, including a series victory in Australia in 2018, and a victory this weekend would equal their longest winning streak against the Wallabies.
The last meeting was in 2022, and it was anything but a classic as Ireland, who lost captain Johnny Sexton during the warm-up, won 13-10.
They will be without Jacob Stockdale and Jamie Osborne from the team that beat Fiji, after both men were forced to withdraw with hamstring and captor injuries respectively. They were already without lock Ryan Baird, who suffered a head injury, and prop Tadhg Furlong, who missed the entire fall series due to injury.
Australia hope to be able to call on center Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, who was sent off against Scotland with a wrist injury. X-rays confirmed there was no break and the player, who converted from rugby league to make his Australian debut earlier this month, could feature.
Lock Jeremy Williams could also return after missing the game at Murrayfield through illness, but Will Skelton has been recalled to his club with that game taking place outside the international window.
Rugby betting sites are predicting a comfortable victory for Ireland, favored by 16 points in handicap markets, but the margin of victory may not be that great.
The largest margin of victory between the teams in the last six meetings was nine points and, with Australia showing signs of improvement under Schmidt, they can maintain a respectable scoreline.
Ireland vs Australia Prediction: Ireland to win by 6-10 points – 13/2 William Hill
Please play responsibly
When betting, it is essential to practice responsible gambling.
Betting can be addictive and it is important to stay in control of your bets. Never view gambling as a way to make money, never bet more than you can afford and when the fun stops, stop.
Gambling sites offer punters tools, such as deposit limits, profit and loss trackers, and self-exclusion options, to help them stay in control.
But if you ever need help or advice about gambling addiction, don’t hesitate to contact any of the charities or organizations below.
We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This income helps fund journalism at The Independent.
